Glens title challenge will be 'difficult but it's the aim' - McCourt

Glentoran adjunct head Paddy McCourt believes it will beryllium "difficult" for nan nine to equine a title situation but it is their "aim" for nan coming season.

The Oval nine vanished 5th successful nan Irish Premiership past season, immoderate 30 points down champions Larne.

McCourt joined Glentoran successful June aft leaving his domiciled arsenic method head astatine Derry City earlier this year.

"We’re afloat alert of what nan demands will beryllium and we want to put a squad and squad together that will place pinch nan fans," McCourt told BBC Sport NI.

"The request for occurrence is ever location erstwhile you are astatine a large club.

"When you look astatine wherever they vanished nan play past year, is it realistic to adjacent that spread pinch 1 transportation model pinch a transition?

"It’s going to beryllium difficult but you person to effort and purpose to do it."

It has been a summertime of modulation astatine Glentoran pinch complete 14 elder players departing nan eastbound Belfast club.

Manager Declan Devine, whom McCourt worked pinch astatine Derry City, took complete successful interim complaint successful March earlier being appointed arsenic imperishable head successful April.

"He’s seen nan bully times astatine nan Oval," McCourt said of his manager.

"He knows nan demands from nan fans, and he’s not been short astatine letting maine cognize that too."

Glentoran unfastened their play connected Friday pinch Crusaders coming to eastbound Belfast, unrecorded connected BBC iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website.

"A batch of teams person spent money and really strengthened truthful nan competitiveness is going to beryllium there.

"The bottommost six of past twelvemonth and nan apical six of past twelvemonth – I wouldn’t beryllium amazed if that changes this twelvemonth pinch nan recruitment immoderate teams person done."

"A batch of full-time clubs that person full-time players connected bully money truthful nan league’s improving each nan time. The modular of coach, nan modular of subordinate is improving and hopefully agelong whitethorn that continue.

"If nan crowds support coming to games, and let that financial backing for each nine past it’ll decidedly flourish."